AWS Storage Gateway

Tape Gateway

Back up and archive on-premises data to virtual tapes in AWS

Overview

Tape Gateway enables you to replace using physical tapes on premises with virtual tapes in AWS without changing existing backup workflows. and caches virtual tapes on premises for low-latency data access. Tape Gateway encrypts data between the gateway and AWS for secure data transfer, and compresses data and transitions virtual tapes between Amazon S3 and Amazon S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval, or Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive, to minimize storage costs.

Tape Gateway supports all leading backup applications

How it works diagram – Tape Gateway features

Use Tape Gateway to replace physical tapes on premises with virtual tapes on AWS—reducing your data storage costs without changing your tape-based backup workflows. Tape Gateway supports all leading backup applications and caches virtual tapes on premises for low-latency data access. It compresses your tape data, encrypts it, and stores it in a virtual tape library in Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3). From there, you can transfer it to either Amazon S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval or Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive to help minimize your long-term storage costs.

Benefits

Replaces physical tape libraries

Tape Gateway emulates physical tape libraries, removes the cost and complexity of managing physical tape infrastructure, and provides more durability than physical tapes. You don’t need to purchase tape libraries, handle magnetic tape media, clean tape cartridges, or deploy resources to manage them. You also don’t need to invest in and manage expensive migrations from older physical tapes to newer generation media. Tape Gateway stores virtual tapes in Amazon S3, Amazon S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval, and Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive, protected by 99.999999999% of durability.

Simplifies management

Tape Gateway stores your virtual tapes in S3 buckets managed by the AWS Storage Gateway service, so you don’t have to manage your own Amazon S3 storage. Tape Gateway integrates with all leading backup applications allowing you to start using cloud storage for on-premises backup and archive without any changes to your backup and archive workflows.

Lowers total cost of ownership

Tape Gateway compresses and stores archived virtual tapes in the lowest cost Amazon S3 storage classes, Amazon S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval and Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive. This makes it feasible for you to retain long-term data in the AWS Cloud at very low cost. With Tape Gateway, you only pay for what you consume, with no minimum commitments and no upfront fees.

Provides security and compliance

Tape Gateway encrypts data in transit between your data center and AWS, and also encrypts your data at rest in cloud. Tape Gateway supports Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) and Tape Retention Lock, helping you protect your data from malicious or accidental data deletion, and comply with industry regulations for data that you need to retain for compliance purposes. Tape Gateway is HIPAA eligible and PCI compliant, and offers FIPS 140-2 compliant endpoints to protect even the most sensitive data in cloud.

Read blog: Protecting backup archives with WORM and Tape Retention Lock

Use cases

1

Backup to AWS

Tape Gateway presents cloud-backed storage through an iSCSI-based virtual tape library to your on-premises backup application. You can backup data directly from your backup application to Tape Gateway. Tape Gateway asynchronously copies your backups to AWS and enables you to scale backup storage needs on-premises with a pay-as-you-go pricing.

2

Archive to AWS

You can use Tape Gateway to archive data you need to preserve at another offsite location for disaster recovery or regulatory compliance needs. Tape Gateway enables you to replace magnetic tape libraries and physical tapes with AWS Cloud storage for long-term storage retention needs.

Customers

Hear from more AWS Storage Gateway customers »

Ryanair saves 65% on backup costs with Tape Gateway

Ryanair Saves 65% on Their Backup Costs With AWS Storage Gateway

Southern Oregon University replaces tapes with backup to AWS

Southern Oregon U. Replaces Tape with Cloud Backup on AWS, Reducing Cost

Key Tape Gateway resources

Video

Tech Talk: AWS Storage Gateway - Escape the Pain of Physical Tape Management

Reduce administrative overhead by replacing your legacy physical tape with AWS Storage Gateway’s Tape Gateway

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Video

Demo: AWS Tape Gateway Supports Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive

In this video, Mohamed Adly, Global Solutions Architect for AWS, demonstrates how AWS Tape Gateway integrates with Amazon S3 Glacier Deep Archive.

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Video

re:Invent session: Shift Your Tape Backups to AWS to Save Time and Money

See how AWS Storage Gateway's tape-gateway configuration shifts tape backups and archives to AWS

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Video

Tech Talk: Move From Tape Backups to AWS in 30 Minutes

Learn how to make an easy switch to a cloud-based virtual tape library (VTL)

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Video

re:Invent session: Back Up to the Cloud in Under an Hour

AWS Storage Gateway provides a seamless drop-in replacement for tape backups with its Tape Gateway

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Video

AWS re:Invent 2021 - Accelerate physical tape data migration to AWS

This session introduces AWS Snowball with Tape Gateway

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Documentation

AWS Project: Replace Tape Backup with Cloud Storage

Want help with your plan of attack? Receive guidance on the steps to start using Tape Gateway to replace tape without disrupting trusted backup processes.

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Documentation

Documentation: Tape Gateway

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Supported backup software

Tape Gateway lets you easily point trusted backup software at an on-premises Storage Gateway that, in turn, connects to Amazon S3 and Amazon S3 Glacier Flexible Retrieval to deliver the scale and durability of the cloud for safe long-term retention, without disrupting existing investments or processes. Many customers have used Tape Gateway in a VTL configuration with major backup software tools available on the market.